Revenue Recovery Proceedings against doctors violating Compulsory Bond Service

"We cannot agree with the stand of doctors and the government is planning to take strong legal action including revenue recovery against those who are violating the conditions", the secretary informed TOI. The health minister is also reported to have been present in the meeting.

The bond, which is signed by MBBS students, at the initiation of their study requires them to do compulsory government service post completion, or pay a penalty. The government is reported to have maintained a stand, making government service compulsory since crores of rupees is spent on educating medical students and the education they receive in government colleges is substantially subsidized for their benefit.

The compulsory government service bond was introduced in Kerala in the year 2008 in the wake of shortage of doctors, a concern that still continues to haunt the government hospitals of the state.  A similar situation is prevailing in many other states across the country, where doctors are opting out of their bond contracts, particularly those that require doctors to serve government services in rural areas.

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